


Moving On

by subcircus



Series: The Immortal Ianto Jones [8]
Category: Doctor Who, Highlander: The Raven, Highlander: The Series, Torchwood
Genre: Gen, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-07-31
Updated: 2010-07-31
Packaged: 2017-10-10 21:15:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/104362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/subcircus/pseuds/subcircus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto is trying to pick up the pieces of Torchwood, and of Jack, after the devastation caused by the incident with the 456. Maybe he can, with a little help from a friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Ianto stood at the edge of the pit that had once been the Hub and stared down into the ruins. He wasn't normally one for melancholy brooding; Jack did enough of that for the both of them, but the torn and empty hole in the earth echoed the way he currently felt.

It had taken months just to clear the debris; it would probably take years to sift through it all for anything worth salvaging. The deeper levels had been more or less untouched and Ianto was grateful for the small mercy that the storage levels had been left undisturbed. He was glad the blast hadn't touched Tosh and Owen; they'd been through enough.

The cleanup was being made harder because at the moment Torchwood was just him and Jack. Amanda had to leave to help a friend in Paris shortly after the 456. Ianto had a feeling she had other reasons to depart, but he didn't blame her. Part of him wanted to leave, to get some distance from Jack, Torchwood and the whole bloody mess, but right now Jack needed him.

Gwen had taken her maternity leave, after much arguing, and while Rhys had been very helpful with the cleanup they could hardly expect him to go chasing Weevils in Gwen's place.

Not that there were many Weevils to chase. Cardiff had been suspiciously and blissfully quiet, as though the Rift and those that came through it were afraid to piss off Torchwood. Ianto couldn't blame them, Jack had made it very clear just what Torchwood was willing to do to protect Earth.

Jack had reverted to the 'mardy bastard' mode that Ianto had come to think of as his default setting. Their relationship was currently one of needy, desperate sex, something Ianto was happy to provide if that was what Jack required. But they would have to deal sooner rather than later. Neither of them was big on dealing with the past, but Stephen's death was not something Jack could brush aside in his usual way.

And that was a big part of the problem. Jack buried his emotions, pretended things had never happened, and one by one all the bad events of his long life had eaten away at him. Just in the few years Ianto had known him, Jack had survived more than most men experience in a lifetime. Nobody could come through completely unscathed, not even the indestructible Captain Jack Harkness.

Perhaps it would be good for both of them to get away for a while, Ianto mused. Cardiff could cope without them for a little while. Then a thought occurred to him and he smiled as he pulled his mobile out and hit a number on speed dial.

"Martha? I need a favour…"


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto stood outside the abandoned Customs House that had become Torchwood's temporary base of operations and watched as a battered Land Rover approached down Paget Rd.

It had felt strange at first to move to Penarth; but Torchwood had built a secondary base there for emergencies such as the one they found themselves in. It suited their needs to be out of the city at the moment but they were still close enough to get anywhere in an emergency. Ianto did need to have a quiet word with the council about the speed bumps though. Since the loss of the SUV they'd been making do with Ianto's own car and the sporty suspension on his Citroen transferred every bump and pothole.

He suddenly got a tickling sensation at the tip of his spine, like the feeling he got near another Immortal, but subtly different. Scanning the crowd near the Barrage for signs of someone else looking around but finding none, he realised he must be feeling the presence of someone who had the potential to become Immortal. His heart skipped as he wondered if it might be one of the occupants of the Land Rover but then dismissed the thought. It would be a ridiculous coincidence; far more likely that it was one of the tourists milling about, or one of the many joggers.

He continued to watch the 4x4 as it pulled into the public car park and stopped in the nearest empty space, halfway across the car park. Mickey got out and purchased a ticket before he returned to the vehicle and stuck the ticket to the windscreen. Ianto grinned as a London accent carried across to his position.

"Did you hear that? The ticket machine just spoke to me. In Welsh."

"Mickey, you've crossed time and space, and you find that amazing?" Martha asked with a chuckle.

"Nah, suspicious," Mickey replied as he shut his door and locked the car.

Ianto started across to where they'd parked and gave a little wave when Martha spotted him. She beamed and jogged across the distance between them before throwing her arms around Ianto in a hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you!" she declared.

"Thank you for coming," Ianto replied warmly. He pulled back a bit from Martha's embrace and nodded at Mickey, who nodded back. "Let's go for a walk," he suggested, gently guiding Martha in the direction of the Barrage.

They walked in amicable silence along the Barrage for a few minutes until they found a secluded bench where they could talk. They sat and looked out across the Bay at Cardiff and Ianto felt a stab of guilt for wanting to leave the city. But he knew he was leaving her in safe hands.

"Have you decided where you're going yet?" Martha asked. Ianto shook his head.

"We won't leave until after Gwen's had the baby," he explained. He was worried that Jack might find it hard to be around a child, but he also hoped that the promise of new life could be something good to focus on, remind them all why they did the job.

Martha nodded and then seemed to think about something.

"You know… there's a way for you to get away and not miss a single minute," she said. Mickey made a disgusted snorting noise.

"Time travel," he muttered. Ianto shook his head.

"Jack's VM doesn't work anymore."

"I didn't mean Jack's space hopper, I meant a Ferrari," Martha said and laughed. When the boys didn't join in she looked embarrassed. "Sorry, private joke. I meant that Jack needs the Doctor."

Ianto felt like an idiot for not having thought of that himself. He had once felt jealous of Jack's affection for the Doctor, but since meeting the Timelord he'd realised just how petty that feeling was. Martha's suggestion was actually pretty obvious now Ianto thought about it. Mickey must have misread Ianto's expression, however, as he commented,

"I'm not the Doctor's biggest fan, but it's a good idea."

"How do we even know he'll come? He wasn't here when we needed him," Ianto said with a note of bitterness. "If he'd been here then…" he trailed off and shook his head. He knew there was no use thinking like that. Martha laid a gentle hand on his arm.

"I know the Doctor; if he could have helped, then he would have been here," she said. "I'm certain he would want to help Jack. You can be gone as long as you need, and the Doctor can bring you back to the very minute you left."

Ianto smirked; he'd read accounts of how the Doctor didn't always arrive exactly when and where he'd intended. But Martha and Mickey could hold the fort if they were gone for long. Ianto thought Jack might be angry with the Doctor for not helping with the 456; but at least then he would be directing his anger at someone other than himself.

"Can you get hold of him?" Ianto asked. Martha produced her mobile and waggled it at him. "That still works?"

"As far as I know, haven't tried it since the Daleks though. Now, we need to make it look accidental; Jack won't appreciate us organising things behind his back."

"Doesn't the Doctor have to recharge the TARDIS from the Rift?" Mickey suggested. Martha nodded.

"Perfect!" she said and rewarded him with a kiss that caused Mickey to beam. "Okay, Ianto, when and where do you want him?"


End file.
